Electric igniter for explosive-engines.



G. A. GOODSN.

ELEGTBIO IGNITEB FOB. -EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.8, 1002.

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ELECTRIC IGNITBR FOB EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

PPLIUA'HH mnu rmm. 1902.

904,196. Patented Nov. 17,1908.

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G. A. GOODSGN.

'ELEcTnIc IGNITER ron mLosm ENGINES.

APPLIUATIOH FILED PBBAI, 1902.

904,196. Patented Nov. 17,1908.

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G. A. GGDSON.

ELECTRIC IGNITEB FOB EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

Y APPLIOATIOI FILED IBBJI, 1902. Patented Nov. 17

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W. im JW Georlye. L Genbanjy' fuis @Mo/qs GEORGE A. GOODSON, OFMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ELEGTBIO IGNITER FOR EXPLOBIVE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application tiled February 8, 1902. Burial No. 95,l36.

r ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention. suchas will enable others skilled in the art. to which it appertains to makeand use the saine.

My invention has fur its object to provide an improved electi" igniterfor explosive engines; and to this end. it consists of the novel devicesand combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in theclaims.

My invention is illustrated in the accontpanving drawings as applied toa two c vclc explosive engine. and the generator shown is substantiallythe saine as that disclosed in my U. Patent 734.8151, granted to me ofdate July 1903. on tn v application 5. X. 86,009. filed Dec. 16. 1901..

In the said drawings. wherein like notations refer to like partsthroughout the several views, Figure l is an end elevation of the enginewith my invention embodied therein. some parts being broken away. andothers shown in section. Fig. '-2 is a side elevation of the same. withsome portions broken away. Fig. 3 is a cross section through thesparking device. and a ortion of the engine cylinder in the same p aneas shown in Fig. 1 but on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionon the line az* ai* of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a bottom lan view of the sarkng plug detached. Fig. 6 is a detail of t e generator on the line aiar of Fig. 1. Fig. 't' is a view chiey in vertical section. showing amodified forni of the sparker detached. Fi 8 is a lan view of the same:and Fig. 9 1s a detail showing the armature contact or electrode of Fig.9, in lan view detached.

The engine bein of tlie well known two cycle type, it is. o course, notnecessary to detail the structure thereof. It is sufficient. for thepurposes of this case.` to note the cylinder casting l and the crankshaft 2. For holding the elements of my sparker. I eniploy a screw plug3 adapted to be seated in one wall of the explosion chamber of theengine. which plug may he of the form shown in Figs. l and 3, or of theform shown in Fig. 7. In the plug 3 are mounted the circuit breakingrelectrodes which may be of the form marhed 4 and 5 respectively, asshown in Figs. l lo 5 inclusive, or of the forni marked l und as shownin Figs. i' to 9 inclusive. In each forni the lixcd electrode is held ina suitable insulating bushing (i secured in the plug 3. ln each form,the movable member of the electrodes is in the nature of an arnmture. Asshown in the main views. Figs. l to 5 inclusive. tho arnniture is in theforni of a hell-crank lever 5, the short arm of which is subject to thepole pieces of the double magnet 7 anchored to the head or outsideportion ot' the plug 3, with its pole pieces extending therethrough intoclose. proximity to the short artn of said lever 5. The magnet T, andthe fixed electrode l. are connected into the igniter circuit b v wiret5, detachable al the binding post 9. and leading directly from thesource of supply. The armature icver 5, constituting the otherelectrode, is not insulated` but is directly connected with one wall ofthe brass plug 3 at the hinged joint thereof. and ma)r also be connectedby a. coiled wite 10. to insure lerfect contact between the said parts.Tllie wire 10. if made of a kind of metal that will stand the heatincidental to its position. may also act as a spring for holding thearmature electrode 5 in its closed position. The other lead wire fromthe current source assumed to tap the engine castings whence the currentreaches the screw plug 3, and through the same the armature contact Themagnet is protected by a suitable cap or housing 11. The )lug 23 isrecessed to ati'ord clearance for tie propel' motion of the armaturelever In the modification shown in Figs. and 9, the movable member ofthe circuit breaking electrode is in the form of a piston armature 5*mounted for straight line reciproeating motion within the brass plug 3.T he fixed electrode 4. in this modification. is of proper form to bringits contact point directly under the contact point of the armature .3a.The armature. assumes its circuit closing position Linder the action olgravity: and lo better insure thisI result. it has a loose tit in itsseat and may be provided with longitudinal grooves c throughout itsentire length on its peripheral surface to atford free passage for thegases from the explosion chamber of the engine, therebjf making bothends thereof subject to the same pressure or be balanced.

Referring now to the yenerator, l employ a magneto A having app icd toits armature an impelling device adapted to be tripped into actionintermittently by theengme, for instantaneously imparting motion to thearmature at the proper s eed to enerate thel required current, regardess of t le speed ot the engine. One form of such a generator 1sillustrated in Fi 1, 2 and 6. The engine shaft 2 has tix thereto. withfreedom for angular adjustment thereon, a ear wheel 12 which engages agear wheel 1 of the same size which is loosely mounted on the armatureshaft of the maoneto. Alongside the gear 13 is a disk 14 fixed to thearumtnrc shaft and provided with a crank b extending therethrough. Theloose wheel lil has a lateral stud on its outer face for cooperationwith the inner end of the pin b of the disk 14. The crank pin b isconnected hy a still' coiled spring 15 to an anchor bracket 1li shown assecured tu the permanent magnets in the magneto. The spring l is appliedunder tension, and tends to'hold the clank pin b of the disk 14 at itshighest point. or as near as posible to the anchoied end of the spring:and when the spring is in this, its normal position, its axis is on aline which, if produced, would cro the axis of the armature shaft. Underthe rotation of the engine shaft 2, the gear 12 fixed thereto will turnthe loose gear 13 on the armature shaft; and when the cam luv a of theloose gear 13 comes in contact with the inner end of the crank pin b onthe disk 14 fixed to the armature shaft. the latter will be turned withthe loose Ia1' 13 for a little more than one-half a revo ution, to-wit,until the spring 15 has been carried to the forward side of the armaturesha-ft, in respect to the motion of rotation; and, when this occurs= thespring 15, by the half turn of the disk havin been set under increasedtension, will .su denly throw the disk forward in advance of the loosegear, and thereby impart a corresponding quick throw to the armature ofthe magneto at a. speed sullcicnt to generate the reuired current, reardless of the speed of t e engine; and, olfz course. when the spring,rhas drawn the crank pin b to its hinfhest position, it will there stothe disk 1f and the armature shaft where t ese parts remain idle untilthe next half revolution of the loose gear been completed. The parts ofthis lmpellmg device are. so positioned, relative to each other, andrelative tothe crank sha ft of the ine, that the impelling device willbe tripp into act-ion at exactly the right instant, m respect. to themotion of the engine piston, for secar the spark at the instant ofhighest E. Onc terminal of the armature winding of the magneto issoldered. or otherwise made fast in Contact with the armature lshaft.whence the current may pass through the metallic parts of the generatorand tht` eugine castinrs lo the screw phwof the spnrkcr, und there rolnto the movable or arnmture member of the circuit breaking electrode. Theother terminal of thc magneto armature winding is suitably insulated.and contact therewith is made through an insulated brush 17 connectedwith the wire 8 lending to thc magnet 7, and throuh the same to thefixed electrode of the spar 'el'.

Having regard to the span-ker. as lshown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.gravity and the sprilmlr 10 co erate to hold the armature lever 5 awayrom the cores of the magnet and the two electrodes in their closedposition: and this force is such. in respect lo the `4dan* of the coresand indiugs of tinl magnet T. that the armature lever 5 will be movedinto its reverse or closed position with respect to the magnet, and theelectrodes thereby hc separated at a predetermined voltage which isattained only substantiallyat the instant of maximaux current generationby the gcnerator. The same remark applies to the form of plug shown inT, S and 9. with the exception that gravity alone holds the pistonarnnltnrc. there shown. away from the core of the magnet and theelectrodes in their closed position. The coiled wire-.them shown asencircling a part of thc piston armature 5 und connecting the same withthe plug 3, is primarily intended to insure a good conductor for thecurrent.

I prefer the form of sparker, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, for the reasonthat the pole pieces of the magnet may be closer to the armature lever 5when the latter is in circuit closing position and nevertheless affordprovision for a lon opening movement between the circuit breaiingelectrodes. This makes the circuit breakin action somewhat quicker andmore positive ghan with the form shown in Figs. 7 to 9.

In practice lire proof magnets may he employed, and the parts whichproject into the ex losion chamber be made of roper materia to withstandthe heat. While the sparking plug, herein disclosed. has the specialfeatures of advantages herein described, it must, of course, beunderstood. that so far as the general combination or broad feature ofthe invention herein disclosed and claimed, to-wit, the intermittentlyacting magneto con bined with a ma ietic plu or motor controlledsparking evicc, as efmed in claim 1, is concerned, the magnetic plug orsparking device might be of any su1table construction.

In t-he generator shown and described, the movable member thereof isrotary, and the intermittently acting impellingr device always operatesto turn the mtary member ol' the generator in the same direction; andthis structure and mode of operation has important advantages, all asset forth in my foundation Patent 734,851, of Jul 28th, 190:5; but forthe pur ose of certain eatures of the present case, t le movable memberof the generator mi ht vibrate instead of rotate. or, 1n other wor s,the Generator might be of the form disclosed and= claimed in my Patent795,644 of April 14th, 1903.

Extensive usage has demonstrated the etiliciency of the invention hereindisclosed and claimed, for the purposes had in view.

what I claim 1s:

1. In an explosive engine, the combination with an electric generatorhaving a rotary member, of intermittentl acting menne turning saidmember alwayel in the same direction and :it a speed which isindependent of the speed of the engine. a device actuated b v the enginefor tripping said means into action. an igniter circuit supplied fromsaid generator and provided mth electrodes in the explosion chamber, oneof which is movable. and an electric motor also in said eircuit-'antlcontrolling the movable electrode to j make und break the circuit attheproper time, substantially as described.

2. In an explosive engine, the combination with a magneto generatorarranged t0 30 generate, intermittently, current for the spark, anigniter circuit supplied from said generator. and a sparking plug,rsecured in one wall of the ex lesion chamber of the engine and providewith a pair of electrodes 35 projecting into said explosion chamber,insulated from each other, one thereof being stationary and the othercarried by a hinged bell-rrank armature lever, an electro nmgnet` on theexterior of said lug having a core or 40 GEORGE A. HU( )DH WitnessesTmmas l". ('osmrovn, ()'r'ro CARLnomz.

